This invention is directed to a wheeled vehicle having a wind up motor therein which is connected to at least one of the wheels so as to drive the vehicle and further including means within the vehicle for inhibiting unwinding of the wind up motor if the vehicle is inverted or otherwise reoriented from a normal position wherein it is supported by the wheels.
Over the years, a variety of toy vehicles have been developed which include small spring motors located within the vehicle. At first these spring motors were energized by utilizing a key or knob to wind up or tense the springs. Later, vehicles were developed which allowed for winding or tensing of the springs therein by rolling of the vehicle across a support surface.
The types of vehicles which can be wound by rolling the vehicle across the support surface include those which have certain clutch mechanisms allowing for rolling of the vehicle in either a forward direction to wind or tense the spring, or in the reverse direction to tense or wind the spring. In any event, irrespective of how the spring is initially tensed or wound, when released, the spring then unwinds and drives the vehicle across the support surface. Some of these vehicles include an governor or limiter which controls the rate of unwinding of the spring and thus the speed of the vehicles. In other vehicles, the mass of the vehicle coupled with the friction of the wheels of the vehicle against the support surface serves this function.
In all of the above described vehicles, however, if the vehicle is overturned, the spring continues to be discharged or unwound. In vehicles which do not include an independent governor to control the unwinding or discharging of the spring, if the vehicle is overturned, the spring is very rapidly discharged and in order for the child to once again play with the vehicle, the spring must once again be rewound.